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Why French says 'avoir le temps de' for 'have time to'

In English, a noun is followed by to plus a verb: I have the time to read, she has the right to vote, we had the chance to travel. French builds the same ideas with avoir and a noun, but the noun is linked to the following infinitive with de, not à and not nothing: avoir le temps de lire, avoir le droit de voter, avoir la chance de voyager.

English speakers tend to translate to word for word and reach for à, or they leave the preposition out entirely. Once you see these expressions as one block, avoir + noun + de, they become easy to use. The same block covers expressions like avoir l'intention de, avoir peur de and avoir envie de.

Word list
avoir besoinA1 to need avoir besoin de + infinitive = to need to (j'ai besoin de dormir), no article tempsmA1 time avoir le temps de + infinitive = to have time to avoir peurA2 to fear avoir peur de + infinitive = to be afraid to avoir raisonA2 to be right avoir raison de + infinitive = to be right to chancefA2 luck avoir la chance de + infinitive = to be lucky enough to espoirmA2 hope avoir l'espoir de + infinitive = to hope to idéefA2 idea avoir l'idée de + infinitive = to have the idea to, to think of doing raisonfA2 reason avoir une (bonne) raison de + infinitive = to have a (good) reason to ambitionfB1 ambition avoir l'ambition de + infinitive = to aim to, to have the ambition to avoir envieB1 to feel like avoir envie de + infinitive = to feel like doing avoir honteB1 to be ashamed avoir honte de + infinitive = to be ashamed to avoir les moyens d'acheterB1 to afford avoir les moyens de + infinitive = to be able to afford to avoir tortB1 to make a mistake avoir tort de + infinitive = to be wrong to (tu as tort de t'inquiéter) choixmB1 choice avoir le choix de + infinitive = to have the choice to (tu as le choix de rester) couragemB1 courage avoir le courage de + infinitive = to have the courage to devoirmB1 duty avoir le devoir de + infinitive = to have a duty to droitmB1 right avoir le droit de + infinitive = to have the right to, to be allowed to forcefB1 strength avoir la force de + infinitive = to have the strength to (je n'ai pas la force de courir) habitudefB1 habit avoir l'habitude de + infinitive = to be in the habit of occasionfB1 opportunity avoir l'occasion de + infinitive = to have the opportunity to opportunitéfB1 opportunity avoir l'opportunité de + infinitive = to have the opportunity to (l'occasion is more standard) permissionfB1 permission avoir la permission de + infinitive = to be allowed to possibilitéfB1 possibility avoir la possibilité de + infinitive = to be able to, to have the option to pouvoirmB1 power avoir le pouvoir de + infinitive = to have the power to projetmB1 project avoir le projet de + infinitive = to plan to (il a le projet de partir) désirmB2 wish avoir le désir de + infinitive = to have the desire to (formal) intentionfB2 intention avoir l'intention de + infinitive = to intend to ordremB2 order avoir (l')ordre de + infinitive = to have orders to (j'ai ordre de rester) patiencefB2 patience avoir la patience de + infinitive = to have the patience to privilègemB2 privilege avoir le privilège de + infinitive = to have the privilege of responsabilitéfB2 responsibility avoir la responsabilité de + infinitive = to be responsible for doing volontéfC1 will avoir la volonté de + infinitive = to have the will to
How it works

The pattern is always the same: a form of avoir, then the noun (often with an article), then de, then the infinitive. Before a vowel or a mute h, de becomes d': avoir le temps d'acheter, avoir l'habitude d'habiter.

The de is required by the noun, not by the verb. That is why it stays even when English uses a verb instead of a noun. She intends to leave becomes elle a l'intention de partir, and I'm afraid to ask becomes j'ai peur de demander.

Some of these nouns take an article (le temps, la chance, l'occasion). Others are used bare, with no article at all (avoir envie, avoir peur, avoir honte, avoir raison). Learn each expression together with its article, or with the lack of one.

The words
Time, chances and means

With temps, occasion, chance and possibilité, you describe whether something can happen. Avoir la chance de means to be lucky enough to. Avoir les moyens d'acheter means to be able to afford something.

Je n'ai pas le temps de manger ce midi.
(I don't have time to eat this lunchtime.)
Tu as eu l'occasion de visiter Lyon ?
(Did you get the opportunity to visit Lyon?)
On n'a pas les moyens d'acheter une maison.
(We can't afford to buy a house.)
Rights and duties

Droit, permission, privilège and devoir describe what you may or must do.

Ici, on n'a pas le droit de fumer.
(You're not allowed to smoke here.)
Les enfants ont la permission de sortir jusqu'à dix heures.
(The children are allowed to stay out until ten.)
Les parents ont le devoir de protéger leurs enfants.
(Parents have a duty to protect their children.)
Plans, habits and character

Intention, volonté, espoir, courage and habitude describe what is going on inside a person.

Elle a l'intention de voyager cet été.
(She intends to travel this summer.)
Il n'a pas eu le courage de lui dire la vérité.
(He didn't have the courage to tell her the truth.)
J'ai l'habitude de courir le matin.
(I usually go running in the morning.)
Feelings without an article

Avoir envie, avoir peur, avoir honte and avoir raison drop the article but still take de.

J'ai envie de rester à la maison ce soir.
(I feel like staying home tonight.)
Elle a peur de conduire la nuit.
(She's afraid of driving at night.)
Tu as raison de te méfier.
(You're right to be careful.)
Il a honte d'avoir menti.
(He's ashamed of having lied.)
Watch out

Not every avoir + noun expression takes de. A few common ones take à: avoir tendance à (to tend to), avoir du mal à (to have trouble doing) and avoir plaisir à (to enjoy). Learn these as exceptions.

J'ai du mal à dormir quand il fait chaud.
(I have trouble sleeping when it's hot.)

The most typical mistake is j'ai le temps à lire or j'ai le temps lire. Both are wrong. Say j'ai le temps de lire. Also remember that many of these expressions use de before a noun too: avoir peur du noir, avoir envie d'un café, and the same goes for avoir besoin de.

Summary

When English says have + noun + to (time to, the right to, the courage to), French says avoir + noun + de + infinitive: avoir le temps de partir, avoir peur de tomber. Keep the article if the expression has one, change de to d' before a vowel, and set aside the few exceptions with à, such as avoir tendance à and avoir du mal à.